Pelican Lake near Elbow Lake: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Pelican Lake is one of the Grant County listings for Minnesota. This is lake country bush ground. Around 5.8 sq miles of open water: conditions change from one end to the other. You have roughly 24 miles of edge to choose from, which rewards a scouting trip. It is the biggest water on our Grant County list. The nearest place of any size is Elbow Lake, 9.4 miles away. Beyond it, Fergus Falls at 20 miles and Parkers Prairie at 24 miles. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Pelican Lake

  Survey data gives a maximum of roughly 24 feet. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Species logged across Grant County include common carp, largemouth bass, walleye, bluegill and yellow perch. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Work Pelican Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 70°F and January near 8°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Winter locks it down, and mid April brings it back. The open-water window runs from around mid April to about late November in an average year. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. At Pelican Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. The water borders Egret Island SNA, so expect the reserve rules to apply. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Should this one be busy, Melby Lake is 1.6 miles off. Nothing here settles the position at Pelican Lake for certain.